New Studies from Healthgrades Point to the Information Gap in Healthcare and the Importance of Consumer Access to Objective Measures of Quality
October 23, 2012
Americans spend more time researching a refrigerator than they do choosing a doctor or hospital, according to a national study released today by Healthgrades.
The Consumer Research: America’s Readiness to Choose a Doctor or Hospital, a survey of more than 7,700 American adults, reveals a stark contrast between the importance they place on their choice of a doctor or hospital and the little amount of time they actually spend researching their options. Taking the time to carefully review a hospital’s performance can directly influence the outcome of care—and statistics show that in some cases, it can mean the difference between life and death.
To better equip Americans to make these important choices, Healthgrades published the American Hospital Quality Outcomes 2013: Healthgrades Report to the Nation. The report shines a light on how approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide performed on risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for nearly 30 of the most common conditions and procedures. We also identify key trends in hospital quality from 2009 through 2011.
For the first time Americans can now directly link the selection of a doctor to the hospital where the doctor practices. This gives consumers the power to differentiate the likelihood of a better health outcomes based on the hospital’s objective quality measures, such as mortality, complications, safety, and patient satisfaction.
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